Automotive interiors often feature a number of compartments in various locations, such as along the center console or the instrument panel. Such compartments may have a door associated therewith to allow an occupant of the vehicle to alternately open and close the compartment. The spatial requirements of a vehicle interior have resulted in such doors being movably mounted with respect to associated compartments in various “moving axis” configurations. Such configurations allow the edges of the doors to be spaced flush with respect to adjacent vehicle interior surfaces with a minimal gap therebetween, while still allowing reliable opening and closing of the respective door. Further, such moving axis configurations can allow for a door, when open, to retract into the console, adjacent to or within the associated compartment.
In one such design, the assignee of the present application created an initial design for a cup holder door wherein a dampener carrier pin was press inserted inside a door inner member that was already welded to a door outer member. A groove on the end of the dampening carrier pin was made to engage with an “L” shaped feature inside of the door assembly during press fit operation. In this manner, the dampening carrier pin was retained in position during the function of door movement. While sufficient to retain the dampening carrier pin for a certain number of cycles of the door, a greater number of cycles of the door is desired. Accordingly, there is a need for a retaining clip made of a robust materials for use within a door assembly capable of retaining a pin in position for a significant number of cycles of the door assembly. This is particularly true given the fact that the retaining feature is positioned within a welded assembly making it difficult to repair in the event of failure or dislodgement.